Archax: the giant robot mecha fans’ dreams are made of
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A robot worthy of Gundam or Pacific Rim in the real world? Who but the Japanese could have come up with such an insane project? And it is a ‘land of the rising sun’ start-up by the name of Tsubame Industries which has set about this task, by creating a giant metal robot called ‘Archax’, measuring over four metres in height.
Mechas are articulated robots as big as a house and made known to the world through cartoons and science-fiction series such as Transformers and Goldorak.
Especially popular in Asia and specifically in Japan owing to the numerous mangas exploring the subject, up until now they were confined to the collective imagination. But with Archax, the mechas are now barging their way into the real world.
A very, very large toy
Ryo Yoshida, the Tsubame Industries boss, has devoted numerous years to perfecting the design and mechanics of Archax to achieve a previously unseen level of realism and functioning. His primary goal: to create an experience in which the pilot feels genuinely connected to the robot, evoking iconic images of the mechas featured in the canonical works of SF. But there is more to it than that, as not only can Archax be piloted from its cockpit, but guiding it remotely is also an option.
This added versatility widens this steel giant’s range of usage possibilities, rendering it not only entertaining but potentially useful in various scenarios.
A leading-edge technology
Ryo Yoshida, the Tsubame Industries boss, has devoted numerous years to perfecting the design and mechanics of Archax to achieve a previously unseen level of realism and functioning. His primary goal: to create an experience in which the pilot feels genuinely connected to the robot, evoking iconic images of the mechas featured in the canonical works of SF. But there is more to it than that, as not only can Archax be piloted from its cockpit, but guiding it remotely is also an option.
This added versatility widens this steel giant’s range of usage possibilities, rendering it not only entertaining but potentially useful in various scenarios.
The cost of innovation
But all this technological wizardry comes at a price. And quite a high one at that. Archax thus costs the modest sum of 2.8 million Euros. Tsubame Industries is planning to build five of them, all earmarked for sale to private individuals. The marketing of the giant mecha is anticipated for next year and will thus offer the most ardent (and richest) fans of giant robots the possibility to have in their possession a unique item in their own gardens.
On the other hand, it will probably take some time before these imposing machines become a common sight in our streets. And that’s not such a bad thing.
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